3 Montco men face charges after investigators discover ghost guns ring
NORRISTOWN, Pa. (CBS) -- Three Montgomery County men are facing gun trafficking charges after investigators say they uncovered a ghost guns ring that made and sold the guns and gun parts and received shipments of some gun components from China.
Tony Ho, Rithga Ngoy and Michael Nguyen were the men allegedly involved in the ring.
Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele spoke about the case Wednesday.
The investigation began when a shipment of silencers from China was intercepted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection at JFK International Airport in New York. The package was addressed to Ho's home in Hatfield, Steele's office said.
According to a 60-page criminal complaint, investigators intercepted private messages from the defendants, including records of 15 alleged illegal gun sales dating back to March 2020.
In those messages, Ho wrote that "I make the ghostie guns" and that some of the clients he catered to were "hood."
People who live in the area say they had no reason to believe their neighbor was under local, state, and federal investigation.
"It's creepy and it's unnerving," neighbor Laura Winterbottom said.
Winterbottom has friends in this neighborhood. She says she had no idea about what police say was happening nearby.
"To not know anything, wherever you go, is very frightening," Winterbottom said.
Investigators say Ho, Ngoy, and Nguyen were building and selling ghost guns out of a home on Roosevelt Avenue.
"Defendant Ho was using a lot of different parts to make ghost guns," Steele said.
Investigators went to talk to him and asked if they could look around the house when they say they found parts to make ghost guns. Police say the suspects were hiding the assembled guns somewhere else.
The probable cause statement indicates that 15 guns were initially recovered. Investigators believed there are more guns and gun parts that still missing.
"I hope that the guns that we have recovered so far they won't be used in crimes at this point," Steele said.
"It's a lot to process all at once," said Justin Harrison, who lived right across the street from 32-year-old Ho. Harrison was shocked to learn police accused his neighbor of making and selling ghost guns.
"Kids play up and down the street all the time," Harrison said. "My kids are here playing all the time. This neighbor does keep to himself, though. I've been here almost four years, and I've probably only seen him three times maybe."
Steele says it's critical for people to come forward if you know anything.
"But that's why we need people if they've gotten them, to give them to us to turn them in to get them off the street, so people don't die," Steele said.
Neighbors say they are relieved to hear the men have been arrested.
"That will keep me calm for now. But still like, kinda scary," Anacari Carreon said.
"It shows that it can be anywhere and it's not just here, it's not just in Philly, it's not just in other cities," Winterbottom said. "It's everywhere."
All three suspects were unable to make bail and are in the Montgomery County Correctional Facility.
They have a preliminary hearing at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 13 before Magisterial District Judge Edward Levin.
